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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30092709">Fix You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/onewomanshow/pseuds/onewomanshow'>onewomanshow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nothing's Sweeter than Redemption [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Azula Needs Therapy (Avatar), Azula Needs a Hug (Avatar), Big Brother Sokka (Avatar), Big Brother Zuko (Avatar), Comfort, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Rivalry, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Brother</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:20:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30092709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/onewomanshow/pseuds/onewomanshow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko finally works up the courage to visit Azula in the psychiatric ward and realizes he has more in common with her than he thinks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Katara &amp; Sokka (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nothing's Sweeter than Redemption [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193330</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fix You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>If you've read "Honor is Just Another Word for Redemption", then this is Zuko's visit with Azula after Katara has already gone to see her.</p><p>Title is taken from Coldplay's "Fix You."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Princess Azula, the Fire Lord is here to see you.”</p><p>Zuko gulps as he stands in the hall outside the door leading to Azula’s room in the mental institution. Per his request, she was still addressed as “Princess” and was moved into her own space. Despite her wrongdoings, he didn’t want her to be treated as an invalid criminal.</p><p>Despite her wrongdoings, he reminded himself that their father was at fault, not her. He had their mother sent away. He was the one that pitted them against each other. And he was the one that manipulated her mind.</p><p>For so long, she was just another obstacle in the way of him regaining his honor. She was the prodigal daughter that everyone adored while he was the discarded son, written off as a mistake.</p><p>But now, as he steps into the dimly lit room and sees her sitting down, restrained, and bound to a wheelchair, all he sees is a broken child and not a war criminal.</p><p>Azula smirks. “Ah, the Fire Lord. What a surprise. Taking time out of your busy day to see me? I’m flattered.” Then, she pauses. “I would bow…but you know, I can’t.”</p><p>“Bowing isn’t necessary anyway.”</p><p>She rolls her eyes. “Oh, Zuzu. I see you still lack proper manners. Didn’t your tutors tell you that you must always prostrate in the presence of royalty?”</p><p>“Then, shouldn’t the guards and nurses be bowing to you too?”</p><p>Azula scowls. “I’m not the Fire Lord. We had an entire Agni Kai over this. Don’t you remember or did the lightning distort your memory?” She drawls in that familiar sardonic tone. </p><p>Zuko takes a deep breath in an attempt to steady his nerves. He wasn’t surprised that even in her mental state, she was still trying to challenge and tease him. Katara had informed him that she would. If anything, it was expected.</p><p>But he was no longer scared of her. Now, he just empathizes with her for in a way, he sees himself when he was 13. After all, she was only a year older than him when he was banished. From this perspective, all he sees is a hurt, scorned, and scared little kid that got caught up in a war and wants their parents’ approval.</p><p>And it breaks his heart to witness because he <em>knows </em>that pain – and it’s not one he’d wish on an enemy, let alone, his younger sister.</p><p>“It’s a sign of respect though. You’re still the Princess of the Fire Nation. I haven’t revoked your title and status.”</p><p>“If I, were you, I would have. All second chances do is just give the person an opportunity to betray you again. But you always have been soft. <em>Weak</em>.”</p><p>Zuko takes a seat on the floor in front of her so he can look into her eyes.</p><p>“I’m giving you a chance because I believe in you. There are plenty of people out that think your bending should be taken away or at the very least, you should be sentenced to jail. And I’m telling them they’re wrong when they already don’t think I’ll be a fitting leader.”</p><p>She scoffs. “Do you think you’re doing me a favor by keeping me locked up in here like some kind of animal? I grew up alone<em>, brother</em>. I learned how to stand on my own two feet. I didn’t have a loving, caring Uncle or mother running to my defense every time I messed up. When people expect you to fail, they’re a bit more sympathetic and kinder when you do but when you’re driven to perfection…there’s no room for error. You get one shot and that it's. If you wanted to ‘make things right', you should’ve killed me when you had the chance. At least then I wouldn’t be living with this misery.”</p><p>“How- how could you say that?”</p><p>Azula scoots back the chair as much as she can. “Say what!?”</p><p>“That I should’ve killed you! You’re my sister, Azula. Why would I ever want to do that?”</p><p>“Because I’m a monster!” She screams, voice cracking. “That’s what happens to people who disrespect the Fire Lord! That's what happens to people like me! It’s…it’s what our father would’ve done.”</p><p>“I’m not our father. I’m your brother and I care about you.”</p><p>“Why!?” She yells, tears streaming down her face. “You have every right to hate me, to want me sent away.” She looks down then. If it was one thing she hated more than crying, it was crying in front of others. It made her feel weak. It made her feel like <em>him</em>. “Why are you being so nice to me? Out of pity? That’s pathetic.” She questions solemnly, a stark contrast from her domineering personality.</p><p>Zuko frowns. That was so much more painful than he was expecting it to be. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Azula cry, not since she was a cranky baby, so to see her breaking down like this awoken some deep desire to protect her in him.</p><p>He saw how Sokka and Katara interacted with each other. Even though Katara was the master bender and perfectly capable of taking care of herself, there were little things he noticed that he did for her – like putting a blanket over her when she was cold, letting her have the last fruit tart even though they both wanted it, or trying to get her to laugh or smile when she was upset, all things an older brother should do.</p><p>He wanted to look out for her the way someone should have for both of them.</p><p>“Because I love you, Azula.”</p><p>Her head snaps up and her eyes are narrowed into slits.</p><p>
  <em>“I love you, Azula. I do.” </em>
</p><p>She heard that line many times when she had the same recurring nightmare every night.</p><p>How dare he say that to her?</p><p>Everyone that ever claimed to love her, hurt her.</p><p>She'd rather be hated and feared than loved because when people were afraid of you, you had the power to hurt them and not the other way around. </p><p>She refused to open herself up to trivial emotions. </p><p><em>"Emotions get in the way"</em> is what their grandfather would say. "<em>That's why your great-grandfather failed to stop Sozin. Luckily, his shortcomings lead to the success of the Fire Nation."  </em></p><p>“Get out.”</p><p>Zuko doesn’t try to argue with her and despite the venom she says it with, he doesn’t take offense to it either. But what he does next catches her by surprise.</p><p>He bows.</p><p>Then, before she can even chastise him for showing mercy, he’s up on his feet and out the door.</p><p>***</p><p>An hour later, a nurse stops by to let her walk around. She looks at her with a steely expression on her face as she flexes her hands and stretches her legs, letting the feeling flow back through them.</p><p>“He trusts you.”</p>
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